New Jersey Fall Challenge

On Saturday,
October 7th, the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour traveled to Ewing, NJ to
hold the New Jersey Fall Challenge at Mountain View Golf Course which hosted
the tournament as well. Saturday and
Sunday saw equally beautiful, breezy conditions perfect for low scores and
plenty of smiles. There was a lot at stake during the tournament as the top 3
in each division received an exemption into the 2017 National Championship
December 2-3, 2017. While the top 10 finishers received points towards year end
honors which include state teams, All HJGT teams and the Hurricane Cup. There
were also Junior Golf Scoreboard Rankings (JGS) on the line as well for
qualified players. Overall, Mountain View Golf Course allowed for a weekend
full of great competition from all divisions with elevated levels of play from
the nation’s most talented junior golfers.

Tiger Woods Boys 16-18

Ryan Pongrac is the boys 16-18 champion. The Freehold, NJ
native took home the division championship by edging out his competition in two
highly contested rounds. Our division champion posted a 74 on Saturday and 72
on Sunday for a two-day total of 146 in route to a victory. Casey Lyons from
Mountain Lakes, NJ finished in 2nd with a two-day total of 153 (77-76). 3rd place was won by Andreas
Aivazoglou (76-78) of Glen Mills, PA with a two-day total of 154. The field,
spectators, and staff were excited to see such a fantastic finish by this
division full of talented competitors.

Top 3 Leaders:

Ryan Pongrac

Casey Lyons

Andreas Aivazoglou

Will Smith Boys 14-15

Payne Elkins is the champion of the boys 14-15 division. The
Valdosta, GA native posted rounds of 77 and 81 for a two-day total of 158 by
playing sharp and consistent. Nicholas Hano
of Warrington, PA took home the second-place trophy after finishing with a
two-day total of 159 (85-74). Third place was taken home by Stephen Sloan of
New York, NY who posted a two-day score of 162 (79-83). The play of this division was enjoyed by the
field, spectators and staff who were excited to see such great play and effort
from these promising young golfers.

Top 3 Leaders:

Payne Elkins

Nicholas Hano

Stephen Sloan

Ernie Els 11-13

Austin Liao is the boys 11-13 champion. A 75 and 78 were enough
to secure the victory for the Warren, NJ native, in a tightly contested
division finishing with a two-day total of 153. Franklin Zhu (79-75), also from
Warren, NJ took home second place posting a two-day score of 154 which was just
a point behind the champ. Mark Vitels (84-75) of Garden City, NY took home
third place with a total score of 159 to round out the division. These group of
boys showed nothing but class, sportsmanship, and gentleman like behavior over
the course of the tournament, even with the elevated levels of competition.

Top 3 Leaders:

Austin Liao

Franklin Zhu

Mark Vitels

Justin Timberlake Girls 14-18

Pasqualina Tartaglione of Pine Bush, NY is the girls 14-18 champion. Tartaglione
paired an 82 Saturday with a 87 Sunday for a two-day total of 169 to edge out
the competition and take the girls 14-18 division. Coming in 2nd was
Liv Schwandt (87-83) from Wilmington, DE for a two-day total of 170. Caroline
Tamasi from Pennington, NJ who posted rounds of 88 and 84 for a two-day total
of 172 to come in third to round out the division. The ladies all enjoyed their
experience, even with some intense competition down the stretch.

Top 3 Leaders:

Pasqualina Tartaglione

Liv Schwandt

Caroline Tamasi

Justin Rose Girls U13

Megan Meng is the girls under 13 champion. Meng, of Pennington,
NJ, emerged victorious after pairing a 76 Saturday with a 71 Sunday. This
netted Meng a score of 147 to take a championship trophy back to Pennington.
Finishing 2nd was Elizabeth Beek of Blue Bell, PA who posted a
two-day total of 150 (76-74). 3rd place honors were brought home by Sarah
Shao of Green Brook, NJ who submitted a two-day total of 161 (74-87). This
division’s great play was inspiring and promising as the field, staff and
spectators enjoyed watching them compete.

Top 3 Leaders:

Megan Meng

Elizabeth Beek

Sarah Shao

Boys 10 Under

Colby Baran of Wading River, NY took home the 1st place
trophy for the boys under 10 division. Baran posted a two-day score of 167 (81-86)
to become the only champion of his division for the New Jersey Fall Challenge
at Mountain View Golf Course. Although Baran was the only competitor in his
division everyone was excited to see such lively play from one of golf’s future
leaders.

Top 3 Leaders:

Colby Baran

Weather

Round 1.

Low 64, High 82. Sunny, Wind 6-10 Mph

Round 2.

Low 64, High 82. Sunny, Wind 6-10 Mph

Tournament Yardages

Boys 16-18:

6,587

Boys 14-15:

6,587

Girls 14-18:

5,667

Boys 11-13:

5,667

Girls 13U:

5,099

Boys 10U:

5,099

About Hurricane Junior Golf Tour

In 2017, The Hurricane Junior Golf Tour announced a partnership with Nexus, an international hospitality and entertainment company backed by financier Joe Lewis and Tavistock Group, golfing great Tiger Woods and musician and entertainer Justin Timberlake, which will further our collective goal of growing the game of golf, broadening the Tour’s reach across the U.S. and around the world.

The Hurricane Junior Golf Tour (HJGT) was founded in 2007 with the intent of providing junior golfers between the ages of 11-18, and now 10 and under, an opportunity to play exceptional courses in a competitive environment. Golfers who participate on the tour will compete in one of six age divisions: Boys 16-18, Boys 14-15, Boys 11-13, Boys U10, Girls 14-18, and Girls U13. Based out of Jacksonville, FL, the HJGT administers events all across the nation, with stops in Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. In 2016, we have now expanded to the west coast and cover California, Texas, Arizona, Colorado, Washington, Nevada, and Oregon.